Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicle navigation. Additionally, this disclosure relates to systems and methods for detecting and responding to cut in vehicles, and navigating while taking into consideration an altruistic behavior parameter.
Background Information
As technology continues to advance, the goal of a fully autonomous vehicle that is capable of navigating on roadways is on the horizon. Autonomous vehicles may need to take into account a variety of factors and make appropriate decisions based on those factors to safely and accurately reach an intended destination. For example, an autonomous vehicle may need to process and interpret visual information (e.g., information captured from a camera) and may also use information obtained from other sources (e.g., from a global positioning system (GPS) device, a speed sensor, an accelerometer, a suspension sensor, etc.). At the same time, in order to navigate to a destination, an autonomous vehicle may also need to identify its location within a particular roadway (e.g., a specific lane within a multi-lane road), navigate alongside other vehicles, avoid obstacles and pedestrians, observe traffic signals and signs, and travel from one road to another road at appropriate intersections or interchanges.
During navigation, an autonomous vehicle may encounter another vehicle that is attempting a lane shift. For example, a vehicle in a lane to the left or to the right of the lane in which the autonomous vehicle is traveling may attempt to shift, or cut in, to the lane in which the autonomous vehicle is traveling. When such a cut in occurs, the autonomous vehicle must make a navigational response by, for example, changing its velocity or acceleration and/or shifting to another lane to avoid the cut-in by the other vehicle.
In some instances, the other vehicle may appear to attempt a cut in, but the cut in may ultimately not be completed (e.g., because a driver of the other vehicle changes his or her mind or the other vehicle is simply drifting). While delaying effecting a navigational response until a cut in by the other vehicle is sufficiently likely to occur may prevent unnecessary braking, such a delay may also increase the risk of a collision and/or result in braking that may cause discomfort to a person in the autonomous vehicle. Thus, improved prediction of when a vehicle will attempt a cut in is needed.
Moreover, in some cases, a cut in by the other vehicle may be necessitated, e.g., by the roadway and/or traffic rules. In other cases, though, the cut in may be optional, such as when the other vehicle merely wishes to pass a slower moving vehicle. Because an autonomous vehicle may be programmed to travel to a destination in a timely and safe manner, the autonomous vehicle may not necessarily permit the other vehicle to cut in where the cut in is not necessary. In some cases, however, it may be preferable to an operator of the autonomous vehicle and/or for overall traffic efficiency to allow such a cut in. Thus, a cut in process that encompasses altruistic behavior is needed.